This invention relates to a process for cracking blossom pollen and to an apparatus for carrying out this process.
Because of their content of valuable constituent materials, blossom pollen preparations find many applications as revitalization agents, food supplements and medicaments. However, upon direct administration of pollen, only a very low bioavailability is achieved because the individual grains of pollen are surrounded by a resistant outer skin (Speroderm) which is not broken down in the human digestive system. It is possible to break down the outer skin by chemical reactions in order to recover the constituent materials. This procedure is unsatisfactory because, for example, residues of the chemicals remain in the end product, a decrease in value arises through losses of valuable constituent materials and also taste changes occur.
German Pat. No. 29 22 485 discloses another approach for destroying the pollen skin to release the pollen by means of a cold milling process. This process also has disadvantages. First, the degree of release which is achieved is not satisfactory. Second, a powder is obtained which after only brief storage hardens to a rigid mass which must be remilled or broken down again.